Deep down I am a lazy climber. I have a tendency to climb the stuff that I'm good at, and not try very hard. This is a story about trying hard.

A little more than two years ago, I quit my jorb to go climbing. I had high hopes of meeting lots of cute girls and bagging the classics. Well, a week after I gave my notice but before I was actually done working I met my girlfriend. So the hotties were out the window, and it was going to be about bagging the classics.

Then the gauntlet was dropped, and the shoes thrown. I was challenged by another climber to head down south and climb a steep physical training route known as the $20 hooker. The grade of the hooker was somewhat in doubt. Going with the laugh grade, ie, what you can call it without actually laughing, it goes at .11b. Other sources put the Hooker as high as .12b.

The bet was as follows: I send the Hooker in one day, and I win a pair of shoes. Free shoes! I love free stuff.

I fail to send the Hooker in a day, and I dance for the camera in my grots. Now, I don't fear other people looking at this porcelain adonis, but the pointing and laughing I just couldn't bear.

So I fled. I didn't get within 50 miles of the $20 Hooker for two years. I had climbed 5.12 in the past, before a couple hand injuries set me back. I hid on the low angle dummy domes. I cowered in the pillow soft grades of indian creek. Before long, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror.

What to do? I couldn't hide any more. During this time I had been mocked and ridiculed by those who knew of the bet, despite my tales of AWESOMENESS about the creek, the red, the high sierra, the needles and those other needles.

I needed to motivate. To face my fears of the mockery. So I went to the gym and started to pull.

After three sessions, I realized the answer wasn't in the gym. It was the faces of my enemies! Arrogant_bastard, snoopy and jim. I began to train again secretly. I could see them laughing at me in my mind, and I could pull harder. I could visualize them crying the real tearz as I sent, and I felt weightless, effortlessly moving up the overhang.

My hatred fully channelized, and my fingers the steel hooks bachar spoke of, I loaded up the car with my dog and my self respect when my girlfriend said it was ok, and drove down to challenge myself on the Hooker.

Snoppy and Jim weren't going to make it easy, plying me with several margaritas the night before. But it was do or die, and I was primed to kill.

I should mention that despite his unseemly desire to see me do the grots dance, Jim did give me the full beta spray down on the Hooker. Got the full walk through on the beta, with the crux location and secret, and an in depth description of each grip.

I stood below the Hooker. I gathered my thoughts. If I sent, I could vanquish my foes. With any luck, they would even quit climbing.

The route was easy!! The pump didn't even hit me until after I clipped the chains I was so focused!! I had Onflashed the $20 Hooker!! I had won the boots!! The boys would be pissed!! My girlfriend wouldn't care!! I had found the motivation I needed to climb hard!!

Motivation for me turned out to be a two year process. Do you have any motivational secrets?

oops. I meant to add that the motivation was really what helped me break through the mystical 5.12 barrier again.

How do you get through the plateaus?

So, I still don't really believe you that you sent.

I find that shame is a powerful motivator. Last time out at NJC, when the Brit had sent, and you had sent, and I had fallen off the clipping hold, I knew I couldn't leave there without sending. I would have been too shameful, and I had almost two hours in the car to hear about it from the Brit. So I zent.

I've found that climbing with internet jerks does not help me send. I climbed with Caughtinside and he slipped ibuprofen in my drink so that I could not jam my fingercrack proj. I climbed with Snupe and Donny, and I fell off Kansas City. I climbed with Arrogant Bastard and I couldn't toprope an offwidth. I climbed with granitegrrl and she made me clean a route that she bailed on. Ok, I guess that last one was a send.

What really motivates me to send is doing lots of pullups and eating good, lean protein, like in ramen noodles.

As a spectator of "The Bet" I didn't know really who to root for. Cause it would have been fun tormenting and teasing CI, however that also would require watching the grots dance. Hard to stomach, that's got to be an image that's hard to kill from the brain.

I've found that climbing with internet jerks does not help me send. I climbed with Caughtinside and he slipped ibuprofen in my drink so that I could not jam my fingercrack proj. I climbed with Snupe and Donny, and I fell off Kansas City. I climbed with Arrogant Bastard and I couldn't toprope an offwidth. I climbed with granitegrrl and she made me clean a route that she bailed on. Ok, I guess that last one was a send.

What really motivates me to send is doing lots of pullups and eating good, lean protein, like in ramen noodles.

Yeah, AB had a similar impact on me. I couldn't climb shit with him.

Oddly, my motivation is not wanting to fail in front of certain people. Some people, I simply don't care, others I do. I don't care that much about success with myself, so that's why I don't push myself for my own benefit (It's simply not why I climb), but some people do actually impact how hard I push things.

AB kept me off the deck in the morning, but by the afternoon I stopped caring. shrugs.

For motivation I always liked to climb around people that sucked but it began to dampen my spirits when they ended up cranking up something I couldn't do. So then I switched to climbing with people who appeared to be hotshots online, just to see them put their climbing where their mouth was. For See Eye it didn't work as he really was that awesome. I figure now I just need to climb with skinny fuckers so I'm motivated to do the same moves while looking like a blorted koala on valium.

Deep down I am a lazy climber. I have a tendency to climb the stuff that I'm good at, and not try very hard. This is a story about trying hard.

A little more than two years ago, I quit my jorb to go climbing. I had high hopes of meeting lots of cute girls and bagging the classics. Well, a week after I gave my notice but before I was actually done working I met my girlfriend. So the hotties were out the window, and it was going to be about bagging the classics.

Then the gauntlet was dropped, and the shoes thrown. I was challenged by another climber to head down south and climb a steep physical training route known as the $20 hooker. The grade of the hooker was somewhat in doubt. Going with the laugh grade, ie, what you can call it without actually laughing, it goes at .11b. Other sources put the Hooker as high as .12b.

The bet was as follows: I send the Hooker in one day, and I win a pair of shoes. Free shoes! I love free stuff.

I fail to send the Hooker in a day, and I dance for the camera in my grots. Now, I don't fear other people looking at this porcelain adonis, but the pointing and laughing I just couldn't bear.

So I fled. I didn't get within 50 miles of the $20 Hooker for two years. I had climbed 5.12 in the past, before a couple hand injuries set me back. I hid on the low angle dummy domes. I cowered in the pillow soft grades of indian creek. Before long, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror.

What to do? I couldn't hide any more. During this time I had been mocked and ridiculed by those who knew of the bet, despite my tales of AWESOMENESS about the creek, the red, the high sierra, the needles and those other needles.

I needed to motivate. To face my fears of the mockery. So I went to the gym and started to pull.

After three sessions, I realized the answer wasn't in the gym. It was the faces of my enemies! Arrogant_bastard, snoopy and jim. I began to train again secretly. I could see them laughing at me in my mind, and I could pull harder. I could visualize them crying the real tearz as I sent, and I felt weightless, effortlessly moving up the overhang.

My hatred fully channelized, and my fingers the steel hooks bachar spoke of, I loaded up the car with my dog and my self respect when my girlfriend said it was ok, and drove down to challenge myself on the Hooker.

Snoppy and Jim weren't going to make it easy, plying me with several margaritas the night before. But it was do or die, and I was primed to kill.

I should mention that despite his unseemly desire to see me do the grots dance, Jim did give me the full beta spray down on the Hooker. Got the full walk through on the beta, with the crux location and secret, and an in depth description of each grip.

I stood below the Hooker. I gathered my thoughts. If I sent, I could vanquish my foes. With any luck, they would even quit climbing.

The route was easy!! The pump didn't even hit me until after I clipped the chains I was so focused!! I had Onflashed the $20 Hooker!! I had won the boots!! The boys would be pissed!! My girlfriend wouldn't care!! I had found the motivation I needed to climb hard!!

Motivation by hatred of yore enemies to send, is powerfull. Winning teh free shoes, well that just AWESOME!

Like most, I have had my ups and downs and have used many things to motivate my climbing preformance. To bout my buddies, win teh girl, get sponcership... ect.

Recently, even using awl the tricks in teh book, I have struggled...

... a year ago I wus weke, hurt, blorted and with no motivation to climb. Sure, I wood get to teh crag enough, but when I wus there awl I wanted to do wus shoot myself in teh fase. My climbing sucked and I hated myself and everyone around me.

Then I started to won star JT512's posts and things started to turn around. Soon I had a smile on my fase, I lost sum blort, my arm started hurting a little less and I actually wanted to go climbing. And when I wus at teh crag... I wus redsighting, tronpoynting, werking moves, getting shit done.

At first I wusn't sure about teh coralation, so I stop won staring JT512's posts... and almost immediately fell back in to my slump.

Still, won staring JT512's posts, is like sum kind of wonder drug. I'm sending several grades harder than before and awl my injuries seem to have gone away. I don't even have to go to teh gym anymore to stay in shape. I just sit down every nite and go tru a bunch of JT512's posts and give 'em awl a won star and BAM! I gets results.

I think it's interesting that for a sport that's idealized as being non-competitive (outside the realm of actual competitions, of course), almost everyone who's responded draws motivation from comparison to others in some regard. Are there people out there who are motivated without regard to others? If so, what is it that motivates you?

Motivation by hatred of yore enemies to send, is powerfull. Winning teh free shoes, well that just AWESOME!

Like most, I have had my ups and downs and have used many things to motivate my climbing preformance. To bout my buddies, win teh girl, get sponcership... ect.

Recently, even using awl the tricks in teh book, I have struggled...

... a year ago I wus weke, hurt, blorted and with no motivation to climb. Sure, I wood get to teh crag enough, but when I wus there awl I wanted to do wus shoot myself in teh fase. My climbing sucked and I hated myself and everyone around me.

Then I started to won star JT512's posts and things started to turn around. Soon I had a smile on my fase, I lost sum blort, my arm started hurting a little less and I actually wanted to go climbing. And when I wus at teh crag... I wus redsighting, tronpoynting, werking moves, getting shit done.

At first I wusn't sure about teh coralation, so I stop won staring JT512's posts... and almost immediately fell back in to my slump.

Still, won staring JT512's posts, is like sum kind of wonder drug. I'm sending several grades harder than before and awl my injuries seem to have gone away. I don't even have to go to teh gym anymore to stay in shape. I just sit down every nite and go tru a bunch of JT512's posts and give 'em awl a won star and BAM! I gets results.

I would respond, but I'm not a BET climber so I think I'm supposed to be discluded.

GO

The BET boys know the story already... I put it here for pubic consumption. Whether or not you would like to contribute is up to you.

EDIT: but I gongratulate you for inventing the word discluded.

Hmmm... there are an awful lot of what sound like BET references in there. No-one likes being on the butt end of an inside joke. But I guess you know that, and you wrote your TR the way you wanted to write it. So I'll respond, but I'm gonna tread lightly.

Climbed with you once, did fine. I've climbed with Burns and Angry. I climbed fine with Burns, and somewhat variably with Angry. Pretty good I guess, but pushed myself to climb harder, and failed.

I guess I climb best with folks who make me feel good - who I trust, and feel relaxed and confident around. People who are psyched to climb, and seem to share the same goals as me.

As for motivation? Eh, sometimes I'm just really psyched, and sometimes I'm not. But the influence of others on me has always been pretty minimal. Even when I've been in communities like what you describe, I seem to go my own way.

I think I feel most motivated when I work on or see some great climb I just can't quite get 100%. I get really motivated to work harder so that I can come back and conquer. I also find that setting a big trip goal helps too.

I think it's interesting that for a sport that's idealized as being non-competitive (outside the realm of actual competitions, of course), almost everyone who's responded draws motivation from comparison to others in some regard. Are there people out there who are motivated without regard to others? If so, what is it that motivates you?

I'm motivated by good partnerships, aesthetic lines, and more than anything else, the gnawing rat inside that must be fed.

When i first started climbing their was one route that i really wanted to do. It is a short but extreemly powerfull 8a. For 3 years i have been training to climb this 1 route.

For the past 6 months i have felt so strong, more than strong enough to do that route, but i just dont want to do it and loze the drive it gives me. I cant seem to find any other form of motivation apart from this 1 route..

I've found that climbing with internet jerks does not help me send. I climbed with Caughtinside and he slipped ibuprofen in my drink so that I could not jam my fingercrack proj. I climbed with Snupe and Donny, and I fell off Kansas City. I climbed with Arrogant Bastard and I couldn't toprope an offwidth. I climbed with granitegrrl and she made me clean a route that she bailed on. Ok, I guess that last one was a send.

What really motivates me to send is doing lots of pullups and eating good, lean protein, like in ramen noodles.

Do you actually have to get on the climb before it's considered that you bailed?

Defeated before I even started......but I was thinking of starting to one star JT512's post to see if that helps.

I've found that climbing with internet jerks does not help me send. I climbed with Caughtinside and he slipped ibuprofen in my drink so that I could not jam my fingercrack proj. I climbed with Snupe and Donny, and I fell off Kansas City. I climbed with Arrogant Bastard and I couldn't toprope an offwidth. I climbed with granitegrrl and she made me clean a route that she bailed on. Ok, I guess that last one was a send.

What really motivates me to send is doing lots of pullups and eating good, lean protein, like in ramen noodles.

Do you actually have to get on the climb before it's considered that you bailed?

Defeated before I even started......but I was thinking of starting to one star JT512's post to see if that helps.

I five starred one of his posts and I tore my acl ... definitely go for the one star

Motivation by hatred of yore enemies to send, is powerfull. Winning teh free shoes, well that just AWESOME!

Like most, I have had my ups and downs and have used many things to motivate my climbing preformance. To bout my buddies, win teh girl, get sponcership... ect.

Recently, even using awl the tricks in teh book, I have struggled...

... a year ago I wus weke, hurt, blorted and with no motivation to climb. Sure, I wood get to teh crag enough, but when I wus there awl I wanted to do wus shoot myself in teh fase. My climbing sucked and I hated myself and everyone around me.

Then I started to won star JT512's posts and things started to turn around. Soon I had a smile on my fase, I lost sum blort, my arm started hurting a little less and I actually wanted to go climbing. And when I wus at teh crag... I wus redsighting, tronpoynting, werking moves, getting shit done.

At first I wusn't sure about teh coralation, so I stop won staring JT512's posts... and almost immediately fell back in to my slump.

Still, won staring JT512's posts, is like sum kind of wonder drug. I'm sending several grades harder than before and awl my injuries seem to have gone away. I don't even have to go to teh gym anymore to stay in shape. I just sit down every nite and go tru a bunch of JT512's posts and give 'em awl a won star and BAM! I gets results.

Motivation by hatred of yore enemies to send, is powerfull. Winning teh free shoes, well that just AWESOME!

Like most, I have had my ups and downs and have used many things to motivate my climbing preformance. To bout my buddies, win teh girl, get sponcership... ect.

Recently, even using awl the tricks in teh book, I have struggled...

... a year ago I wus weke, hurt, blorted and with no motivation to climb. Sure, I wood get to teh crag enough, but when I wus there awl I wanted to do wus shoot myself in teh fase. My climbing sucked and I hated myself and everyone around me.

Then I started to won star JT512's posts and things started to turn around. Soon I had a smile on my fase, I lost sum blort, my arm started hurting a little less and I actually wanted to go climbing. And when I wus at teh crag... I wus redsighting, tronpoynting, werking moves, getting shit done.

At first I wusn't sure about teh coralation, so I stop won staring JT512's posts... and almost immediately fell back in to my slump.

Still, won staring JT512's posts, is like sum kind of wonder drug. I'm sending several grades harder than before and awl my injuries seem to have gone away. I don't even have to go to teh gym anymore to stay in shape. I just sit down every nite and go tru a bunch of JT512's posts and give 'em awl a won star and BAM! I gets results.

I've found that climbing with internet jerks does not help me send. I climbed with Caughtinside and he slipped ibuprofen in my drink so that I could not jam my fingercrack proj. I climbed with Snupe and Donny, and I fell off Kansas City. I climbed with Arrogant Bastard and I couldn't toprope an offwidth. I climbed with granitegrrl and she made me clean a route that she bailed on. Ok, I guess that last one was a send.

What really motivates me to send is doing lots of pullups and eating good, lean protein, like in ramen noodles.

Yeah, AB had a similar impact on me. I couldn't climb shit with him.

Oddly, my motivation is not wanting to fail in front of certain people. Some people, I simply don't care, others I do. I don't care that much about success with myself, so that's why I don't push myself for my own benefit (It's simply not why I climb), but some people do actually impact how hard I push things.

AB kept me off the deck in the morning, but by the afternoon I stopped caring. shrugs.